OUR VIEW

Ocean recreation must be managed

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Oct 24, 2013

~~<p>In Hawaii the beaches and nearshore waters are considered a community resource, perhaps to a greater extent than in most other places. That is why the state has a duty to manage its use, in the interest of public safety as well as ensuring that the public has a reasonable opportunity to enjoy recreation there.</p><p>What the state is seeking, and ought to be able to find, is a middle ground where it meets its oversight responsibility without succumbing &mdash; and subjecting all the commercial vendors &mdash; to the sheer weight of bureaucracy.</p>~~

In Hawaii the beaches and nearshore waters are considered a community resource, perhaps to a greater extent than in most other places. That is why the state has a duty to manage its use, in the interest of public safety as well as ensuring that the public has a reasonable opportunity to enjoy recreation there.

What the state is seeking, and ought to be able to find, is a middle ground where it meets its oversight responsibility without succumbing — and subjecting all the commercial vendors — to the sheer weight of bureaucracy. Login for more...